Giraffokeryx fossil map
Where fossils of Giraffokeryx have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 15 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 20.45–5.333 million years ago (Burdigalian to Messinian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Giraffidae |
| Named by | Pilgrim 1910 |
| Fossil records | 34 occurrences at 13 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Pakistan, Kenya, Nepal, India, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia |
| Rock formations | Chinji, txn:42690, Manchar, Lothidok, Nagri, Upper Koru Series |
About Giraffokeryx
Giraffokeryx is an extinct genus of medium-sized giraffids known from the Miocene of the Sivalik Hills of India, Pakistan and Nepal, though it is also known from Türkiye. It is distinguished from other giraffids by the four ossicones on its head; one pair in front of the eyes on the anterior aspect of the frontal bone and the other behind the eyes in the frontoparietal region overhanging the temporal fossae. It has a brachydont dentition like in other giraffids and its legs and feet are of medium length.
Giraffokeryx is considered monotypic by most authors, in the form of G. punjabiensis, but other species have been assigned to the genus:
G. chinjensis was assigned to the genus, but later included within the extinct species Giraffa priscilla. The distribution of this latter species and G. punjabiensis indicates that the Himalayas still did not act as a barrier for faunal dispersal during the middle Miocene.
G. anatoliensis, a partial skull with a postorbital horn and isolated teeth from Turkey, had shorter and less inclined horns than G. punjabiensis.
Giraffokeryx resembled either an okapi or a small giraffe. It is a possible ancestor of both.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Giraffokeryx (revision 1360785028), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q3768565.
